The gifted 25-year-old hit 14 fours and two sixes as the Indians overhauled Zimbabwe's modest 196 with 9.2 overs to spare, recording their second consecutive win in the three-nation event also featuring Sri Lanka.

It was Tendulkar's 20th one-day hundred, putting him three ahead of former West Indian opener Desmond Haynes' tally of 17 and five clear of his nearest challenger Saeed Anwar of Pakistan.

Tendulkar's combined tally of 20 one-day and 16 Test hundreds makes him the highest century-maker of all time, surpassing the 35 notched up by Haynes and his former team-mate Viv Richards and India's Sunil Gavaskar.

Tendulkar's inspired batting came after India's three-man spin attack wrecked Zimbabwe's top order in the first session of the day-night international.

Leggie Anil Kumble, off-spinner Nikhil Chopra and left-armer Sunil Joshi grabbed two wickets apiece as Zimbabwe collapsed to 83-6 after being sent to bat. Zimbabwe, stunning victors over world champions Sri Lanka on Saturday, were saved further embarrassment by tailender Heath Streak, who slammed two sixes in a career-best 59. Craig Wishart (25) helped Streak put on 68 for the seventh wicket as Zimbabwe added 113 for the last four wickets. India, who beat Sri Lanka in Friday's opening match, ended the first round of the double-leg preliminary league with an all-win record. The Indians take the field again on Monday for the return clash against the Sri Lankans, needing one more win to ensure their place in the final next Friday. Sri Lanka must beat both India and Zimbabwe to keep their hopes alive of staking a claim to the winner's purse of 40,000 dollars.

Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin warned his team-mates against being complacent despite Tendulkar's dazzling form.

``Two out of two is good but four in four is what we are aiming for,'' said Azharuddin, who made 28 in a third-wicket stand of 92 with Tendulkar.

``Sri Lanka is too good a team to let these defeats bother them. I am sure they will bounce back and we have to be careful of that.''

Zimbabwe captain Alistair Campbell said there was nothing much his team could do against Tendulkar's genius.

``We made India's task easier by being bowled out quickly, but then I don't think 250 would have been enough against a batsman like Tendulkar,'' he said.

Zimbabwe's leg-spinner Paul Strang removed Saurav Ganguly and Nayan Mo in his first two overs to put up a semblance of a fight, before Tendulkar took over.

He delighted some 5,000 fans with breathtaking strokeplay, the best being two fours and a huge six that sailed out of the Sharjah stadium in one over of Andrew Whittall.

Earlier, Kumble finished with 2-31 and Chopra, playing his third one-dayer, followed his 1-34 against Sri Lanka with an economical 2-21 from 10 overs=2E

Campbell and Grant Flower put on a confident 44 for the first wicket in 11 overs before India hit back with three wickets in successive overs.

Murray Goodwin and Andy Flower carried the score from 49-3 to 72 when another collapse saw Zimbabwe lose three more wickets in the space of nine runs.

Early report

SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates, Nov 8 (AFP) - India's three-man spin attack ran through the top-order to keep Zimbabwe down to 196 in the Champions Trophy international here on Sunday.

Leggie Anil Kumble, off-spinner Nikhil Chopra and left-armer Sunil Joshi grabbed two wickets apiece as Zimbabwe collapsed to 83-6 after being sent to bat by Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin.

Zimbabwe, stunning victors over world champions Sri Lanka on Saturday, were saved further embarrasment by tailender Heath Streak, who slammed two sixes in a career-best 59.

Craig Wishart (25) helped Streak put on 68 for the seventh wicket as Zimbabwe added 113 for the last four wickets.

India, who defeated Sri Lanka by three wickets in Friday's opening match, face a modest target of less than four runs an over to score their second successive win in the three-nation tournament.

Kumble finished with 2-31 and Chopra, playing his third one-dayer, followed his 1-34 against Sri Lanka with an economical 2-21 from 10 overs.

Zimbabwe captain Alistair Campbell and Grant Flower put on a confident 44 for the first wicket in 11 overs before India hit back with three wickets in successive overs.

Campbell, who made 25, triggered the collapse by running himself out in trying for a second run. Ajit Agarkar broke the wicket at the non-striker's end with a direct throw from fine leg.

Grant Flower, who made an unbeaten 87 against Sri Lanka, was trapped leg-before by Kumble. In the next over Neil Johnson was bowled attempting to cut Chopra.

Murray Goodwin and Andy Flower carried the score from 49-3 to 72 when another collapse saw Zimbabwe lose three more wickets in the space of nine runs.

Goodwin, groomed at the Australian Cricket Academy in Adelaide, looked good while making 14 when he drove Chopra uppishly to mid-wicket where Robin Singh made no mistake.

Joshi, introduced as the fifth bowler, removed Andy Flower and Craig Evans in his first two overs to reduce Zimbabwe to 83-6 by the 26th.